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Nick Parkinson
Undisputed world junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue stormed to a predictable fourth-round knockout win over late replacement opponent Ye-Joon Kim on Friday, to set up a fight in the United States next.
Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs), 31, known as “The Monster”, ended Kim’s brave attempt with a crushing right hand to defend his four world titles in front of his home fans at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Inoue, a world champion in four weight divisions, is a lot of fight fans’ favorite and showed why by delivering a stunning knockout in what is expected to be his first of three fights in 2025, before performing in rings in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia.
Kim beckoned Inoue forward in Round 4, but seconds later he was deposited on the canvas by a right hand to the temple. The WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO 122-pound champion was untroubled in a 24th consecutive title defence and 10th successive stoppage win. “I’m pretty sure 2025 is going to be the big year for me,” Inoue said.
“Overall, I think it was a good match, but I didn’t have enough time to study about my opponent, so I just took some time to see what’s coming from him.”
Inoue, who is ranked No 3 in ESPN’s latest pound-for-pound rankings, can now concentrate on a bigger fight for later this year and could face Mexican Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 16 KOs), the WBC’s No. 1 challenger, in Las Vegas next, as per ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.
Another fight that is getting talked about for five-foot-five Inoue is against Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22 KOs), his fellow countryman who trains out of Los Angeles and is the WBC world bantamweight champion.
Five-foot-eight Nakatani, 27, is a three-weight world champion and a dangerous puncher who first defends his title against David Cuellar Contreras in Japan on Feb. 24. After Inoue’s win over Kim, promoter Bob Arum, of Top Rank, confirmed Inoue will fight in Las Vegas in the spring.
“I just want to say another great performance by our champion here,” Arum said. “And I observed that the great country of Japan has given [Shohei] Ohtani to the city of Los Angeles, and at least for one fight, the great country of Japan will give this great Inoue to the city of Las Vegas for one fight this spring.”
Inoue last fought in the U.S. in 2021, when he knocked out Michael Dasmarinas in three rounds to defend his world bantamweight titles in Las Vegas. “2025 is the year for me to go overseas to fight,” Inoue said. “I’m planning to have a fight in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia this year.”
“How complete am I? I’m not sure, but the only thing I can do is to get better each time I get in the ring. So, I’m going to fulfill my career until the end.”
Unheralded Kim (21-3-2, 13 KOs), from South Korea, fought in his first world title fight at just two weeks’ notice after he replaced Australian Sam Goodman who pulled out injured from a scheduled fight versus Inoue on Christmas Eve. Kim came out for Round 1 in the southpaw stance and a defensive strategy, and he found himself under more pressure in Round 2.
Inoue landed a short right hook when Kim was trapped in a corner and later in Round 2 unloaded some fast combinations. Inoue’s punches left Kim’s right eye swollen by Round 3, but the challenger let his hands go in Round 4 which prompted a ferocious response from Inoue, who put together a flurry of punches before sending Kim down with a right hand to end the fight.
Also on the bill, Jin Sasaki won a unanimous (116-112, 118-110, 117-111) points decision after a slugfest versus Shoki Sakai to keep him in contention for bigger fights at welterweight. Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOs), 23, from Tokyo, took some punishment in as the pair traded uppercuts in a competitive, enthralling encounter.
Sasaki landed more punches though, especially left hooks to the body, and an overhand right rocked Sakai (29-15-3, 15 KOs), 34, in Round 11. Sasaki, who is ranked at No. 3 with two world governing bodies (IBF and WBO) and at No. 4 with the other two (WBA and WBC), afterwards called for a shot at one of the world welterweight champions.
At minimumweight (straw weight), Yuni Takada (16-8-3, 6 KOs) earned a split decision (113-114, 116-111, 114-113) over Goki Kobayashi (8-2, 5 KOs) to move closer to a world title contention.